Standing Committee on Economic Affairs chair Sakiusa Tubuna [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji / Facebook]

Standing Committee on Economic Affairs chair Sakiusa Tubuna said despite being Government-owned, the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation Pte Limited used a commercial approach to self-sustain its operational costs.

He said this while presenting the Consolidated Review Report on the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021and 2022 Fijian Broadcasting Corporation Limited Annual Reports in Parliament yesterday.

Tubuna said the primary objective of FBC TV’s public service broadcasting was to promote local talent and produce diverse local content, offering a wide range of programming options to the public.

“While FBC faces competition from other commercial entities, it has successfully maintained a strong market position through its hybrid programmes with an emphasis on local content. This approach has enabled FBC to retain loyal listeners and viewers across urban, rural and maritime areas. Notably, FBC operates the only AM radio service in Fiji, which has the technological reach to cover the entire country.”

However, Tubuna said FBC faced challenges such as loss of potential market share due to strong competition from other commercial operators, which could impact advertising revenue.

“To remain competitive, FBC must continually seek innovative ways to create programmes that not only captivate and expand its viewership and listenership but also generate new revenue streams.”

Tubuna also highlighted that FBC operated six radio stations catering to Fiji’s three major languages – iTaukei, Hindustani and English.

He said the stations included Radio Fiji One and Bula FM (iTaukei), Radio Fiji Two and Mirchi FM (Hindustani) and Gold FM & 2Day FM (English).

Tubuna also said FBC operated a television station, FBCTV and had an in-house production unit called Studio 69.

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